In this section

BURNLEY

Bronley, 1241; Brunley, 1251 and commonly;
Brumleye, 1294.

In addition to Burnley and Habergham Eaves,
always closely associated, the chapelry of Burnley
included Briercliffe, Worsthorne and Cliviger, while
the adjacent extra-parochial places of Ightenhill
Park and Reedley Hallows were practically attached
to it.

The historical township of Burnley lies on the
lower slopes of land descending from Cliviger in the
south-east and Marsden in the north-east towards
the River Calder, flowing north-west, west and again
north-west towards the Ribble. Between the two
slopes the Brun, augmented by the Don, turns round
to join the Calder. The town of Burnley grew up
in the level tongue of land formed at this junction.
The church was built in a central position near the
Brun, and this stream divides the township into two
nearly equal parts. The market place, with its cross,
and the older part of the town stood near the church.
From Cliviger, as stated, Burnley Ridge extends
north-west into the township; it attains 630 ft. above
sea level at the south-east boundary; from Marsden,
where 775 ft. is attained, the surface descends
gradually to the south and west; the height above
the sea is 350 ft. at the junction of the Brun and
Calder, and about 315 ft. near Royle. The area is
1,996 acres.

In the southern half of the township stands Fulledge, with Brunshaw and Towneley Park to the
south-east. In the northern half Heysandforth,
Swinless (fn. 1) and Saxifield lie to the north-east of the
church; Bank Hall, Danes or Dancer House, the
Old Hall and Barden to the north; Crowwood and
Royle to the north-west; near the junction of the
Brun with the Calder is Salford, which gave a name
to the district around it. The old township does
not extend to Pendle Water, part of New Laund and
Reedley in Pendle Forest intervening. The boundaries
have been greatly altered recently, as will be recorded
in the account of the borough.

Roads from Padiham and Accrington join outside
the west boundary, cross the Calder by the bridge,
and go east through the centre of the town as
St. James's Street; after passing through the town the
road divides again, one branch going east into Yorkshire and the other south-east to Todmorden and
Rochdale. A cross road from Bury and Rawtenstall
unites with the other at the centre of the town, turns
north as Church Street, and after crossing the Brun
proceeds to Brierfield, Nelson and Colne. (fn. 2) As in
other towns there are numerous minor roads and
streets to serve the populous area, which had in the
last century extended itself on all sides. The
Accrington and Colne branch of the Lancashire and
Yorkshire Railway Company passes north through
the western side of the town, where there is a station
(Bank Top); it was opened 18 September 1848,
and in 1849 another branch was formed from Burnley
to Todmorden, but this lies south and outside of the
old township. The Leeds and Liverpool Canal goes
north through the town on the eastern side, crossing
the Calder and Brun by aqueducts. A tramway
system with electric traction connects Burnley with
Nelson, Padiham and suburban districts. (fn. 3) There
are also mineral railway tracks. The population of
Burnley proper in 1901 was 44,045; that of the
enlarged township was 97,043.

In addition to the churches and municipal buildings there are several noteworthy buildings, as the
Mechanics' Institute and Exchange (1851–88), some
banks and the Church Institute. The Victoria
Hospital on the north of the town was built 1884–6
and enlarged in 1890. The workhouse is near it;
it has an infirmary attached.

The weaving of cotton goods is the staple industry
of the town; there is a little spinning. There are
also important manufactures of weaving machinery
and other mill requisites, some iron foundries, paper
works, breweries and brick-making works in the town
itself or the immediate neighbourhood. Coal, stone
and slate are found in and around Burnley. Two
newspapers are issued on Wednesday and Saturday
each week, the Express and the Gazette. The
barracks are outside the township. There are a
Territorial Battalion of the East Lancashire Regiment
and also Territorial Artillery.

Though a church existed in 1120 and a market
and fair were established at Burnley in 1294, its
history till recent times has been the uneventful one
of a small country town. The neighbourhood contains many remains of the ancient inhabitants, such
as the earthworks and burial mounds at Cliviger and
Worsthorne. (fn. 4) Roman interments and coins have
been discovered at Burnley and places to the east and
south. (fn. 5) The ancient cross testifies to the introduction of Christianity, possibly in the 7th century. (fn. 6)
The church was probably a parish church, which was
reduced to a parochial chapel in the 12th century.
The Reformation, (fn. 7) Civil War and Revolution affected
the place chiefly through the fortunes of the great
Towneley family, who adhered to the proscribed
causes in religion and politics. Three Burnley men
were executed in 1716 for having taken part in the
Jacobite rising of the previous year, their names being
William Harris, Joseph Porter and Stephen Segar.
Burnley had some woollen trade, which has died out.
Then about 1780 the cotton manufacture was introduced (fn. 8) and made rapid progress, the population of
the town doubling between 1801 and 1821, and
requiring the changes in the government of the
town which are related below. Apart from the
manufactures, the land is mostly occupied for
pasturage, the distribution in the chapelry being as
follows (fn. 9) :—

Arable land ac.

Permanent grass ac.

Woods and plantations ac.

Burnley

16

1,569

½

Brunshaw

—

399

3

Habergham Eaves

½

1,942

106

16½

3,910

109½

Briercliffe

½

2,868

42

Worsthorne

1

1,256

15

Cliviger

2

4,428

289½

20

12,462

456

Early last century it was regarded as a peculiarity
of the people that 'wakes, rush-bearing and annual
feasts' excited little attention. Horse-racing had
been a favourite amusement, but the races held at
Old Hall Postern about 1790 had been discontinued
for lack of support. (fn. 10)

The town has few names of prominence to record.
The most famous is the Ven. Thomas Whitaker,
seminary priest, born at Burnley in 1611, his father
being schoolmaster; he was educated at Valladolid,
and returning in 1638 to serve the Lancashire mission
was arrested in 1643 and confined in Lancaster Castle
till his trial in 1646. He was executed for his
priesthood on 7 August with great cruelty. (fn. 12) The
Rev. Henry Halliwell, B.D., a classical scholar, was
also son of the schoolmaster and was born at Burnley
in 1765; educated at Brasenose College, Oxford, he
became fellow and tutor, and was rector of Clayton
in Sussex from 1803 till his death in 1835. (fn. 13) Of
recent times may be mentioned Thomas Turner
Wilkinson, who died in 1875, (fn. 14) and William Angelo
Waddington, who died in 1907 (fn. 15); both of them
were students of the local history and published essays
and volumes on the subject.

In addition to the ancient cross already mentioned,
which is now near the grammar school, there were
crosses in the market place by the church and the
Foldys cross (1520) in the churchyard. The stocks
and whipping-post were formerly placed near the
market cross. (fn. 16) Two Crimean guns given to the
town are placed near the grammar school.

Manors

Though BURNLEY has been called a
manor, (fn. 17) it was and is properly speaking a
member of the manor of Ightenhill, in
the honor of Clitheroe; the manor courts have long
been held at Higham for Pendle Forest and at Burnley
for the rest of the manor. The tenure was to a large
extent copyhold, but much of it has now been
enfranchised. In 1242 the yearly value was given
as £16 4s. 2d. (fn. 18) Burnley is named in the grant of
free warren to Edmund de Lacy in 1251. (fn. 19) In 1258
it was found that Edmund held Burnley in demesne,
Burnley here perhaps including Briercliffe as well as
Habergham Eaves. There were 13 oxgangs of land,
the oxgang containing 9 acres worth 4d. each; the
occupiers of each oxgang had to do a day's ploughing
each year and three days' reaping each autumn. These
works having been commuted were valued at 3d.;
the total value thus came to 42s. 3d. In addition
seven small cottages were worth 6d. a year to the
lord, and an eighth 12d. Of assarted land there were
793 acres, each worth 4d. There were five freehold
estates held by charter, having 139 acres in all, the
tenants being the Abbot of Whalley, William de
Swillington, Adam, William de Ryland and Robert
son of William. (fn. 20)

Henry de Lacy in 1294 obtained from the king a
charter allowing a market every Tuesday and a three
days' fair yearly, 28–30 June. (fn. 21) A market cross was
then set up, at a cost of 9s. 1d. (fn. 22) Two years later
the lord's accounts showed £13 8s. 5½d. for farm of
Burnley, 12d. increment from a toft held by Robert
the smith, 3s. 4d. for works remitted, £10 from the
corn-mill and 6s. 8d. from a fulling-mill newly
erected, (fn. 23) on which 52s. 6½d. had been spent. (fn. 24) By
1305 the farm of the fulling-mill had been advanced
to 24s., but other receipts remained much the same. (fn. 25)
The inquisition made after the death of Henry de
Lacy in 1311 records 354½ acres in Burnley alone,
demised to tenants at will at 4d. an acre, 10 oxgangs
of land held in bondage at 5s. each, and 4d. each for
works remitted, twelve cottages at 1s. each, a watermill worth £5 a year and a fulling-mill worth 5s.
These were nominal values. There were seven free
tenants. (fn. 26) The accounts of 1323–4 showed a net
receipt of £21 8s. 10½d. (fn. 27)

HEYSANDFORTH(fn. 28) was regarded as a manor.
Robert de Marsden gave to Robert de Swillington,
son of Hugh, 40 acres in Burnley, which the grantor
had received from Ralph son of Norman, and which
had formerly been held by Henry the clerk of
Burnley; the land was situated between the river
flowing through the midst of the town of Burnley
and the field called Saxifield. The forest and chase
of John de Lacy Earl of Lincoln were reserved, and
a rent of 6s. 8d. was to be paid to the earl. (fn. 29) William
de Swillington held the 40 acres in 1258, paying
6s. 8d. (fn. 30) Afterwards it was acquired by Oliver de
Stansfield, (fn. 31) who also obtained from Henry de Lacy
a grant of the manor of Worsthorne, and in 1311
Oliver held 50 acres in Burnley by rendering 1d.
yearly, the rent having been altered. (fn. 32) Heysandforth
continued to descend like Worsthorne, (fn. 33) and was by
Joan daughter and heir of Giles Stansfield conveyed
in marriage to Simon Haydock, (fn. 34) said to have been
of the Cottam family.

Evan Haydock the son of Simon died in 1596
holding the manor or capital messuage called Heysandforth, and messuages, water-mill, &c., in Burnley and
Briercliffe of the queen as of her duchy of Lancaster
in socage by 1d. rent. Simon his son and heir was
forty years of age. (fn. 35) Simon Haydock was returned
as a freeholder in 1600, (fn. 36) and died in 1607, leaving
a son and heir Evan, ten years old. (fn. 37) Evan Haydock
was a convicted recusant in 1626, paying double to
the subsidy, (fn. 38) and soon afterwards he sold the manor
of Worsthorne. He died in 1634 holding the capital
messuage called Heysandforth, with other messuages
in Burnley and Briercliffe, of the king as duke in
socage by 1d. rent; Simon, his son and heir, was
seven years of age. (fn. 39) The family subsequently conformed, and retained Heysandforth for some time. (fn. 40)
It was in 1834 purchased from Miss Henrietta
Harrison of Lancaster by John Hargreaves of Bank
Hall, and has descended to Sir John O. S.
Thursby, bart.

The old house at Heysandforth stands in a low
situation on the north-east side of Burnley at a little
distance from the north bank of the River Brun,
between which and the building, however, there is
a small brook running westward. The road passes
close to the south and east sides of the building,
which is now divided into four separate dwellings
and has been so much altered and modernized as to
possess little or no architectural or antiquarian interest.
It forms, however, a rather picturesque group with
stone slated gabled roofs at different levels, and with a
long projecting wing at the south-west, originally the
stable buildings, but now converted into a dwellinghouse. Nearly all the windows are modern sashes
and the walls are for the most part stuccoed. Over
the door of what is now one of the middle houses are
the arms and crest of the Haydocks, and in the
interior is a 17th-century stone staircase with good
turned balusters and newels.

BANK HALL, formerly Bank Head or Bank Top,
was in the time of Elizabeth and later the residence
of a recusant family named Woodroffe. (fn. 41) It descended
through an heiress to the Shireburnes of Stonyhurst,
and was sold by Thomas Weld to the Rev. John
Hargreaves, who built the house in 1796 and from
whom it passed to his nephew,
the above-named John
Hargreaves, high sheriff of the
county in 1825. (fn. 42) He died
in 1854, leaving two daughters
as co-heirs. Eleanor Mary,
the elder, married the Rev.
William Thursby; their son,
John Hardy Thursby, was
created a baronet in 1887,
and at his death in 1901 was
succeeded by his son Sir John
Ormerod Scarlett Thursby,
the present owner of Bank
Hall. The younger daughter,
Charlotte Anne, married General Sir James Yorke
Scarlett, a Balaclava hero, (fn. 43) but there was no issue of
the marriage.

Thursby, baronet. Argent a cheveron between three lions rampant sable.

BANK HOUSE was formerly the property of a
branch of the Halstead family, (fn. 44) but was in 1732
sold to the trustees of the rectory; the house was for
a long time used as the parsonage, (fn. 45) but has disappeared. The site is now occupied by the County
Court House. Dancer House, or Danes House, for
several centuries the home of the Folds family, (fn. 46) was
taken down in 1886, the site being occupied by a
factory. It stood on the north side of the town,
and was a small two-story gabled gritstone building
F-shaped in plan, probably of 16th-century date, (fn. 47)
the shorter arm forming the porch, which went up
the full height of the building. The plan in the
main followed the old arrangement of house-place or
hall with through passage; the windows were of the
usual low square-headed mullioned type and the roofs
were covered with stone slates. Fulledge, another
yeoman's estate, belonged at one time to the family
of Ingham; over the entrance were the initials and
date Y / R E 1576. (fn. 48) The site is now occupied by a
council school.

ROYLE was not styled a manor. It is named
with Filly Close in 1324 (fn. 49) and again in 1340 (fn. 50) and
1418. In the last-named year the herbage there
was demised to John Parker and Richard Briches for
ten years at £12 a year, of which only £2 6s. 8d. was
the share of Royle. (fn. 51) In 1440 John Parker held a
close called Royle to the behalf of John Clerke of
Burnley, who seems then to have secured a copyhold
estate in it, rendering 6d. an acre for the 40 acres
the close was estimated to contain. (fn. 52) The estate has
long been freehold. Margaret Clerke, the heiress of
Royle, married Richard Townley before 1518, in
which year there was an arbitration between him
and John Clerke of Warley. (fn. 53) Richard, who said he
was forty-four in 1526, (fn. 54) was about 1537 involved
in a dispute with a neighbour, Nicholas Harger,
tenant of the Earl of Derby. (fn. 55) He was succeeded
by his son Nicholas, who acquired Greenfield in
Colne in 1541. (fn. 56) Edmund Townley son of Nicholas,
aged one year at his father's death in 1546, died at
Royle in 1598, but the inquisition does not record
the tenure of this part of his estate. His heir was
his son Nicholas, aged twenty-four, (fn. 57) who has been
mentioned already as husband of Isabel Woodroffe. (fn. 58)
For a time he adhered to the Roman Church, but about
1630 conformed to that established by law, (fn. 59) and so
became qualified to act as sheriff in 1631–2. (fn. 60) He
died in 1645, when his daughter Margaret, who
married John Ingleby (fn. 61) and left the above-named
daughter Isabel wife of Richard Shireburne, (fn. 62) became
heir to her mother's estate, Royle and Greenfield
having been bequeathed to Nicholas son of his brother
Robert. (fn. 63) Robert Townley was living, aged seventy,
in 1665, when a pedigree was recorded, (fn. 64) and the
estate descended in his line. (fn. 65) Edmund Townley,
his great-great-grandson, died in 1796, and Royle then
went to the representative of his niece Anne wife of
Robert Parker of Extwistle, viz. Robert Townley
Parker of Cuerden and Astley in Chorley, whose
descendant, Mr. R. A. Tatton, is the present owner.

ROYLE HALL stands about 1½ miles to the north
of Burnley on a site, originally defensive, at the
junction of the Calder and Pendle Water, the Calder
flowing northward past the house on the west side
and Pendle Water westward on the north. The
house stands high above the Calder, the ground falling
steeply on the west side, and advantage has been
made of the situation in the laying out of the gardens
on the south side to form a double terrace with
flights of steps and grass banks. The building thus
appears to great advantage from the garden proper,
which is entered from the lower level of the adjoining
fields on the east side.

The oldest part of the house is of 17th-century
date, but this is said to be a rebuilding of an older
dwelling, parts of which may have been incorporated
with it. The principal front, which faces south, is
90 ft. in length and has three equal and flush gables,
the western one of which, however, is modern. So
many alterations and repairs have been made during
the last century that it is rather difficult to determine
exactly the appearance of the original 17th-century
house, there having apparently been buildings to the
west of the present central gable entirely different in
character from the modern addition, which is more or
less of a sham, reproducing as it does in every particular
the detail of the earlier work on the south elevation,
but in no way representing the actual building behind,
the width of which is nearly 4 ft. less than that of the
front wall and gable. Part of the older 17th-century
building, however, remains at the back of the modern
west wing, and a drawing of the front of the building made c. 1835 by the Rev. S. J. Allen (fn. 66) shows
two narrower gables to the west of the present central
one, forming a rather more picturesque front with four
gables differing in size. The house is stone built, of
two stories, with attics in the gables and mullioned
windows, the upper ones having the two middle lights
raised and a stepped hood mould over. All the
windows on the ground floor, however, are new and
have been lengthened by bringing the sills to the
floor level. The roofs are covered with stone slates
and the gables have ball terminations; the middle one
contains a clock. The old stone walling is in irregularly squared courses with angle quoins, but in
the later work, which dates from about the middle of
the 19th century, it is of regularly squared sandstone
blocks. There is a small stone porch to the west of
the present middle gable, but the modern entrance is
now in the east end. On one of the spout heads on
the front elevation is the date 1771 with the initials
T. T., probably indicating some alterations to the
house in that year. The back is more irregular and
picturesque in appearance with an old two-story
wing over 90 ft. in length running northward. The
interior has been almost wholly modernized, but in
the attics are several oak roof principals with moulded
braces. On the lawn, to the south-west, is an octagonal
17th-century stone sundial shaft; the plate is missing.

Brunshaw was in 1311 held with Towneley. (fn. 67)
Hollins, in its south-east corner near the Brun, formerly
the property of the Holden and Hamerton families,
is now the residence of Lady O'Hagan, the Towneley
heiress.

Henry de Lacy granted a messuage and an oxgang
of land in Burnley, formerly held by Michael de
Picop, to John de Burnley, clerk, at a rent of 7s. (fn. 68)
Adam son of John de Burnley in 1302 granted the
same, including the reversion of his mother's dower,
to Oliver de Stansfield, (fn. 69) but this was probably in
trust, for Adam son of the Clerk was tenant in 1311
at the rent named, (fn. 70) and his three daughters Alice,
Ellen and Matilda in 1342–4 granted their estate
to Whalley Abbey. (fn. 71) The rental of 1537 shows that
the abbey's lands at Burnley were occupied by a
number of tenants at will. (fn. 72)

The inquisitions record holdings in Burnley by
Tattersall, (fn. 73) Grimshaw of Clayton (fn. 74) and Towneley of
Towneley. (fn. 75) The Towneleys were usually farmers of
the mills, (fn. 76) and numerous disputes occurred as to the
suit to these mills. (fn. 77) In 1548 the copyholders of
Burnley complained that whereas they had had from
time immemorial unlimited right of common on Saxifield and Marsden Edge for pasture and turbary, various
inhabitants of Pendle Forest had lately sent horses,
cattle and various 'kind of nawte' to feed there;
when these had been impounded, Sir Richard Towneley's servants had broken the pound and sent the
animals back to the waste. In reply, Henry Nutter
of Pendle Chase, Thomas Ryley of Hapton and
others asserted rights of pasturage on Saxifield. (fn. 78) By
a survey made in 1594 it was found that in Burnley
and Habergham Eaves there were 378 acres of freehold land and 1,575½ acres of ancient copyhold; there
were eight freeholders and fifty-five copyholders who
had no freehold land. (fn. 79) Twenty-seven copyhold
tenements were recorded in a survey of 1617. (fn. 80) In
accordance with the decree of inclosure in 1618 the
whole has long been divided. (fn. 81)

The following landowners contributed to the
subsidy of 1524: Richard Townley, Simon Haydock, Hugh Habergham, Lawrence Shuttleworth,
John Woodroffe, Richard Tattersall, Richard Towne
and William Folds. (fn. 82) To that of 1564: Alexander
Radcliffe and John Woodroffe in Burnley; and
Lawrence Habergham, Hugh Shuttleworth and
Jennet Barcroft in Habergham Eaves. (fn. 83) To that of
1597: Nicholas Townley and Katherine his mother,
Simon Haydock, William Folds, Robert Ingham,
Lawrence Habergham, Hugh Halsted, James Bancroft,
John Whitaker, John Haworth, James Tattersall,
Richard Pollard. (fn. 84) To that of 1626: Richard Towneley, Richard Shuttleworth, Nicholas Townley, John
Habergham, Evan Haydock, Hugh Halsted, Nicholas
Bancroft, Robert Tattersall, Robert Whitaker, Robert
Ingham, William Folds and George Halsted. Towneley and Haydock, being convicted recusants, paid
double, and a number of others paid 8d. each for
other defiance of the laws concerning religion. (fn. 85)

In 1666 in Burnley there were 171 hearths to be
taxed. The largest dwellings were the following:
Nicholas Townley, nine; Mrs. Isabel Townley,
eight; William Tarleton, John Ridihalgh, John
Ingham and Simon Haydock, six each; Thomas
Boulton, William Boulton, Thomas Jackson, John
Clarkson and James Walmsley the younger, five each. (fn. 86)

Borough

With the growth of the town a
century ago some change in its government became necessary. An Act was
obtained in 1819 giving the control of the watching,
lighting, cleansing and general
regulation of the town to a
body consisting of the chief
constable, deputy constables
and sixteen commissioners
chosen from the inhabitants. (fn. 87)
In the same year a Private Act
was obtained for waterworks (fn. 88);
in 1824 gas-works were established (fn. 89); a market place, also
owned by shareholders, was
opened near the centre of the
town in 1831. (fn. 90) By a further
Improvement Act in 1846 the
number of commissioners was
increased to sixty, the boundary
being a circle drawn round the
town three-quarters of a mile
from the centre. (fn. 91) At the same
time the water works were
purchased by the town, (fn. 92) the
gas-works being acquired in 1854. (fn. 93) The cemetery
at Rose Grove was opened in 1856.

Borough of Burnley. Or a cheveron engrailed gules between in chief two lozenges sable and in base a lion rampant of the third, on a chief wavy of the last a dexter hand appaumy argent between two bees volant of the field.

In 1861 a charter of incorporation was granted,
the government being vested in a mayor, eight aldermen and twenty-four councillors. (fn. 94) A coat of arms
was granted at the same time. The market and
market rights were purchased by the corporation in
1866, (fn. 95) and a new market hall was erected in
1868–70. (fn. 96) An attempt had been made in 1832
to erect Burnley and part of Habergham Eaves into
a parliamentary borough, (fn. 97) but it was not till the
Reform Act of 1867 that this was effected, one
member being assigned. (fn. 98) The boundaries of the
municipal borough were extended in 1871, (fn. 99) and the
area was divided into eight wards. (fn. 100) A school board
was in that year formed for the borough. (fn. 101) The
borough was further extended in 1889 to include parts
not only of Habergham Eaves as before, but also of
Briercliffe, Ightenhill Park and Reedley Hallows; and
a division into twelve wards (fn. 102) was made, so that the
council now consists of a mayor, twelve aldermen and
thirty-six councillors. It was declared a county
borough in 1889, and in 1894 the old township
boundaries were obliterated and new townships
formed; thus the borough area became the township
of Burnley, (fn. 103) the small rural part of the old township which lay outside it to the south-east becoming
independent under the name of Brunshaw township. (fn. 104)
The parliamentary borough is somewhat larger than
the municipal borough, the boundaries differing in
many places. The borough has a commission of the
peace, and quarter sessions were granted in 1893.

The municipal buildings include town hall,
police court (fn. 105) and baths; they were erected in
1885–8. The buildings previously used became the
Technical School, which continues and develops the
work begun by the Mechanics' Institution, established in 1834. A new Technical Institute building
was opened in 1909. Electric lighting and power
works were opened in 1893, (fn. 106) and an ice factory
with cold storage accommodation in 1901. There
are three parks—Queen's Park, Scott Park and
Townley Park—and twelve gardens and recreation
grounds.

Burnley is the head of a Poor Law Union, (fn. 107) comprising Burnley, Padiham, Nelson, Colne and a wide
district extending north-east and east to the border
of the county. It is also the centre of the rural
district council for the same part of the county.

Church

The church of ST. PETER(fn. 108) stands
at the north-east end of the town in a
low situation on the south bank of the
River Brun, here flowing in a series of curves and
partly inclosing on three sides the neck of land on
which the building is situated. The church consists
of chancel with north and south chapels and south
vestry, nave with north and south aisles, south porch
and west tower, but only the tower, which is of 15thcentury date, is ancient. Of the former church
which stood on the same site little is known, but
in 1532–3 it was evidently in a state of dilapidation,
as in an agreement of that date Thomas Sellars and
Nicholas Craven undertook within four years 'to
rebuild the north and south hylings with 18 buttresses,
every buttress having a funnel upon the top according
to the fashion of the funnels upon the new chapel of
Our Lady at Whalley.' The said 'hylings' were to
be battled after the battling of the said chapel, and
the cost of the whole was to be £60. At this time
the present tower was standing, but whether the rest
of the building was of 15th-century date or older
can only be conjectured. (fn. 109) Instead of the north and
south aisles being rebuilt, however, as agreed upon in
the contract, the north aisle and nave were actually
reconstructed and the south aisle remained in its
original state, 'low and narrow, indeed a disgrace to
the rest of the church,' (fn. 110) till 1789. A gallery had
been erected at the west end in 1735, the population
of the town having undergone a considerable increase;
the south aisle was pulled down in 1789, and rebuilt
the following year in its present form with a gallery
over it. In 1803 the north aisle was again rebuilt
with a gallery over, uniform with the new south aisle,
and the tower was raised 30ft. In 1854 the roof
was removed, and an arcade of five arches with
clearstory over was erected on the nave piers, with
two arches of less height to the chancel, the roof of
which is lower, and to which there is no clearstory.
The piers were of great height and had formerly
supported a longitudinal beam carrying the roof of the
nave and aisles. A general restoration of the building
was at the same time carried out, all the old square
pews being removed and the present open benches
substituted. A three-decker pulpit which stood in
front of the chancel was also removed, the galleries
refronted, their staircases rearranged, and the organ,
which stood at the east end behind the pulpit,
blocking the chancel window, was removed to the
west end. In 1873 the chancel was lengthened,
and a vestry with organ chamber over added on the
south side, and a new south porch was built in 1889.
In 1903 the south and west galleries were removed
and an addition was made to the vestry. Apart,
therefore, from the lower part of the tower, the
exterior of the church is wholly modern, the oldest
part dating only from 1790, and the interior similarly shows structurally little or nothing of antiquarian interest, except the piers, which belong to
the 16th-century rebuilding, and the older tower
arch.

The church is built throughout of wrought stone,
the walls of the aisles (which are continuous to nave
and chancel) being lofty and pierced with two tiers
of windows, the lower having square and the upper
plain, segmental heads. The general appearance of
the exterior is one of flatness, the aisle walls being
unrelieved by string course or mouldings to the
windows, and all the detail is poor and in the pseudoGothic style of the time. The aisles have lean-to
roofs and wide embattled parapets. The raising of
the nave roof by the addition of the clearstory has
greatly improved the appearance of the building and
corrected the proportion of the tower, which had
suffered in the raising. The nave and chancel have
both embattled parapets and gables, with crocketed
pinnacles at the angles and terminal apex crosses.
The roofs are covered with green slates.

The chancel is 42 ft. long by 20 ft. 6 in. wide,
and before its extension in 1873 was open on each
side to the Towneley and Stansfield chapels its full
length. The extension consisted of an addition of
about 18 ft., and there is now that length of straight
wall at either side of the east end. The upper part
of the south side over the vestry is open to the organ
chamber. The east window is of five lights with
tracery in the style of the 15th century, and the
two chapels are separated from the quire by an
arcade of two arches of two chamfered orders springing from octagonal piers with moulded capitals, the
lower part of the openings being filled in with
modern iron screens.

The Towneley and Stansfield chapels occupy the
east ends of the rebuilt aisles on each side of the
chancel. The Towneley chapel in the north side is
25 ft. long by 17 ft. wide and the floor is raised
one step above that of the aisle, the distinction at
the west end being otherwise unmarked. At the
east end the chapel is lit by a new four-light window
with 15th-century tracery, and on the north side by
four windows, two below and two above, similar to
those in the aisles. The Stansfield chapel is 24 ft.
long by 19 ft. 6 in. wide and has a door at the east
end opening into the modern vestry, above which
the organ is open to the aisle. On the south side it
is lit by two windows one above the other similar to
those in the aisles, to the west of which is a door
now built up, over which on the outside is a
sundial made by Whyman of Gawthorpe in 1791.
The floor is raised like that of the Towneley chapel
one step above the nave aisle, to which it is similarly
open at the west end.

The nave is 70 ft. long by 20 ft. 6 in. wide, and
has an arcade of five pointed arches of two chamfered orders springing from lofty octagonal piers with
moulded capitals. The clearstory consists of five
square-headed four-light windows on each side, and
the roof, which is flat, is divided into five bays corresponding to the arcade, with moulded oak principals
carried down the wall on to carved stone corbels.
The bays have a moulded intermediate piece and
are panelled and boarded, and the roof, which dates
from 1854, is said to preserve the original character
of the old panelled one, the line of which shows at
the west end against the tower. All the interior
walls are faced with rough stone.

The north aisle is 17 ft. 6 in. wide and that on
the south 19 ft. 6 in., both being lit by two tiers of
windows of four lights, five on the north side and
four on the south, the south aisle having also two
similar windows one above the other at the west
end. On the north side of the tower at the west
end of the north aisle is the old vestry, the outside
wall of which is a continuation of that of the aisle,
externally reproducing all its features. There was
originally when built at the beginning of the last
century a second vestry above, but this is now thrown
into the gallery, which is approached by steps from
the vestry below. The north gallery is the only one
now remaining. Opposite the second bay from the
west in both north and south aisles there is a door,
that on the south being protected by the modern
porch.

The tower is 13 ft. square inside with a vice in
the south-east corner entered from the outside. It
has a moulded plinth and square buttresses of four
stages stopping below the ancient belfry windows,
and the west door has a pointed arch with hood
mould and continuous hollow chamfered jambs and
head. Above is a traceried window of three cinquefoiled lights with hood mould and square jambs
and a hollow moulded head dying out at the springing. The north and south sides are plain to the
old belfry stage except for a small square-headed
window high up in the wall. The original belfry
windows, which now light the ringing chamber, are
pointed and of two trefoiled lights with tracery over
and external hood mould, and above this the extent
of the old tower is marked by a string course. The
modern top portion has a wide single-light louvred
belfry window on each side and a clock facing east
and west. It finishes with an embattled parapet and
angle and intermediate pinnacles, below which is a
blocked string course or cornice, the whole being
poor in detail. On the south side, high up on the
face of the vice, is a shield charged with a cheveron
between what appear to be two horse-shoes, hammers
and pincers, and on an adjoining stone is the rude
representation of a pig. (fn. 111) The tower arch is open
to the church and consists of two chamfered orders,
the outer one dying into the wall at the springing,
the inner one continuous to the ground.

The font stands under the tower (fn. 112) and is of 16thcentury date and octagonal in shape, two of its sides
bearing the Towneley arms, the others being either
plain or carved with shields and other emblems. (fn. 113)

The pulpit is of oak, dating from 1903, and all the
other fittings are modern. (fn. 114) In the Stansfield chapel,
however, is preserved an ancient gravestone carved
with a cross fleury in a circle and sword in bold
relief, which is probably of 14th-century date, (fn. 115) and
in the east wall of the Towneley chapel are three old
stones carved with shields bearing different impalements of the Towneley family, one having also the
initials E. T. The chapel contains mural monuments to Richard Towneley, who died in 1706, with
a long Latin inscription, the first part of which was
written by himself, and to Charles Towneley, the
antiquary, who died in 1805. There are also two
modern altar tombs to members of the Towneley
family and a mural monument to Cuthbert Kennett
of Coxhoe, Durham (d. 1688). In other parts of
the church (fn. 116) are monuments to members of the
families of Halsted of Rowley and Hargreaves of
Bank Hall and Ormerod. In the Stansfield chapel
is a memorial to General Scarlett, who is buried in
Holme.

There is a ring of eight bells cast by Thomas
Mears of London in 1803, one of which was recast in
1857. (fn. 117)

The present silver plate (fn. 118) consists of a flagon (fn. 119) of
1722, inscribed 'Ex dono Reverendi venerabilis et
eruditi Edmundi Townley nuper de Royle armigeri
Anno Domini 1722,' with the maker's mark W. D.;
two chalices, a paten, flagon and almsdish of 1857,
all inscribed 'The gift of Robert Townley Parker of
Cuerden to the parochial church of St. Peter in the
chapelry of Burnley A.D. 1857'; and a chalice, paten
and two cruets of Birmingham make 1878–9, given
by Canon Parker in memory of his wife. There are
also a plated paten and bread box.

The registers (fn. 120) begin in 1562. In 1525 there
was a dispute between the 'Kirkmasters,' a local
name for the wardens, (fn. 121) and some of the parishioners
as to the assessment for the repair of the church and
also as to the apportionment of seats. It was agreed
that there should be four 'quarters' of the parish,
paying in these proportions: Briercliffe, Extwistle,
Hurstwood and Worsthorne, 12s.; Burnley, 8s.;
Cliviger, 9s. 4d.; and Habergham Eaves, 10s. 8d.
The first two quarters were to have the seats on the
north side 'beneath the quire wongh,' Cliviger and
Habergham having the south side. The first volume,
which finishes in 1652, contains a rough plan of all
the pews in the church in 1634 with the names of
the respective owners and rude sketches of the
'Pullpitt Staires,' 'St. Anthony's Quier,' (fn. 122) and 'The
Fonte.' The churchwardens' accounts begin in
1728.

The church stands close to the river on the north
side, the churchyard being principally on the south.
The house of the chantry priest formerly stood on the
west side and the grammar school occupied the site
till 1693. On this building were two shields with
the arms of Towneley and Gateford and the initials
J. T. It was pulled down in 1814 and the site
incorporated with the churchyard. The cross stood on
the south side of the church and was approached by
three flights of broad steps, but after its destruction
the base, which bears an inscription (fn. 123) and the date
1520, was removed in 1789 to the grounds of
Towneley Hall. The churchyard was enlarged and
properly inclosed in 1807. The oldest dated gravestone is 1664.

Advowson

The ancient cross at Burnley suggests the existence of a church there
from an early time (fn. 124); otherwise the
first record of one is in the grant of Whalley Church
to the monks of Pontefract about 1121, the charter
of Hugh de la Val including with it the 'church' of
Burnley. (fn. 125) The deans of Whalley probably held it
together with the principal church, and in 1296 it
was described as a chapel only, its altarage being
worth as much as 20 marks a year, and the tithes of
its district—Burnley, Cliviger, Worsthorne, Extwistle,
Briercliffe, Habergham and Ightenhill—amounting to
49½ marks, or £46 6s. 8d. in all. The land of the
demesne of Burnley was worth 1 mark to the rector. (fn. 126)
The monks of Whalley, on acquiring the rectory,
were bound to maintain a chaplain at Burnley and
pay him 4 marks, 'according to the custom of the
country'; this appears to have been increased to £4,
the sum given after the Reformation by the Archbishops of Canterbury as rectors. (fn. 127) This was increased
to £11 10s. before the Civil War (fn. 128); and the duchy
of Lancaster continued to allow £4 8s. 2d. out of the
chantry rents. (fn. 129) During the Commonwealth period
the curate's stipend was made up to £40 out of the
Royalist and Church sequestrations. (fn. 130) This addition
would cease after the Restoration, and in 1717 the
certified income was only £23 16s. 9d., including
the two allowances named, various fees and some
private benefactions. (fn. 131) In 1716, however, a further
augmentation of £12 a year was secured by gifts of the
people and of the Rev. Edmund Townley, rector of
Slaidburn, who thus acquired the advowson. (fn. 132) Various
lands were purchased, and these became more valuable
as the town grew. An Act was passed in 1819
allowing leases to be granted. (fn. 133) The net value of
the benefice is now stated as £1,900 a year. It was
declared a rectory in 1867. (fn. 134)

In a petition of the inhabitants in 1588 it was
alleged that the duchy allowance had ceased in 1566,
after which, for over twenty years, no minister
officiated; they asked for a continuance of the pension
and the appointment of a curate, to be nominated by
three justices of the peace dwelling near the chapel.
The queen allowed this. (fn. 135) Richard Kippax, being
thus nominated in 1690, declared that he accepted
the curacy in right of the Archbishop of Canterbury,
and was licensed with the consent of the vicar of
Whalley. (fn. 136) Afterwards the advowson descended with
Royle to the family of Parker of Cuerden, (fn. 137) until in
1890, the rector being then patron, it was transferred
to the Bishop of Manchester by an Act of Parliament,
which also ordained that in future the rector should
be a suffragan or assistant bishop in the diocese, with
the title of Bishop of Burnley. (fn. 138) The income of
the benefice had risen to about £4,000 a year; half
of this was to be assigned to the new rector-bishop
and the rest to other benefices formed out of the old
chapelry. This Act took effect in 1901, on the
resignation of the then rector, Canon Arthur Townley
Parker, the author of the scheme.

There were two chantries endowed in the chapel.
The Towneley chantry at St. Mary's altar, in the
north aisle, was occupied by Peter Adlington in 1547,
but he celebrated mass only three days a week there;
his stipend was £4 14s. 7d., derived from lands in
Ribchester, Blackburn, &c. (fn. 139) The other chantry,
with a stipend of £4 13s. 4d. from lands in Haslingden and Burnley, had been founded by the inhabitants, and in 1547 Gilbert Fairbank, known as the
gild priest, was celebrating mass and other divine
service according to his foundation. (fn. 140) This chantry
was at St. Peter's altar. (fn. 141) These chantries had no
plate.' (fn. 142) There were also altars of St. Anthony in
the south aisle, and the rood. (fn. 143) The former of these
was also known as the Stansfield chantry, having probably been founded by the lords of Worsthorne. In
1368 the abbey of Kirkstall gave their lands in
Extwistle to feoffees, who founded a chantry at Burnley
for the soul of Peter de Tattersall, but the king's
licence was not obtained. (fn. 144)

The confiscated 'ornaments' of the chapel at
Burnley in 1552 were valued at the comparatively
large sum of 33s. (fn. 145) For the service of the chapelry
there were six priests in 1548, (fn. 146) as appears by the
visitation lists, and the same number in 1554; but
only two remained in 1562, of whom one, the
above-named Gilbert Fairbank, was decrepit, and
died soon afterwards. (fn. 147) From 1563 onwards there
was only one minister for Burnley till the 19th
century. (fn. 148)

The list of names calls for little comment, except
in the case of Roger Brereley, founder of the
Grindletonians, so called from his curacy at Grindleton
in Craven. (fn. 172) Richard Hartley, in 1687, left 20s. a
year to the curate of Burnley 'if he shall read
Morning Prayer in the church of Burnley every
morning, except he be hindered upon urgent occasions
or sick or impotent; the occasion to be judged of
and allowed by two of the next neighbouring
ministers, if any dispute arise.' (fn. 173) In 1724 there
was a double presentation, William Halsted, vicar of
Thornborough, being nominated by Ralph Assheton
and other justices, while James Matthews, son of the
vicar of Whalley, was nominated by Thomas Stanley
and other justices. The latter prevailed, the vicar
of Whalley claiming the right to nominate 'as by
custom during 60 years last past'; but next year the
people complained to the Bishop of Chester that he
having several times preached in our chapel and being a
very little man, delivers his discourses with so low, inarticulate
and perplexed volubility or nimbleness of speech that such as sit
in the remoter parts . . . cannot possibly hear or understand
his discourses to edification. But the Rev. Mr. William Halsted
whenever he preached in our chapel delivered his discourses to
the greatest satisfaction of the whole auditory. We therefore
humbly hope your lordship will exert your wonted zeal for this
your chapel, that it may be filled as formerly, for though sectaries
swarm in our neighbouring chapelries they have not hitherto
been able to get any footing in our parish, our chapel having
been well supplied for sixty years last past; but now to our great
grief we hear that two conventicles are got licensed within our
chapelry since the death of our late curate. (fn. 174)

Under the non-resident incumbents little or
nothing seems to have been done to minister to the
rapidly increasing population; but Mr. Master,
appointed in 1826, applied himself to the task, and
his successor imitated his example. After a new
church had been opened in Habergham Eaves, St.
James's in Burnley proper was built in 1849, (fn. 175) and
St. Paul's, Lane Bridge, in 1852–3 (fn. 176); to these the
Crown and the Bishop of Manchester present alternately. St. Andrew's, Burnley Lane, was built in
1867, (fn. 177) and its mission chapel of St. Cuthbert became a parish church in 1908; the Bishop of
Manchester collates. To St. Catherine's (fn. 178) (1897)
and St. Margaret's (fn. 179) (1898) the rector of Burnley
presents. There are mission rooms in connexion
with St. James's and St. Paul's.

Though from the complaint cited above it appears
that 'sectaries' obtained a footing in the chapelry in
1724, (fn. 180) nothing much is known. Methodism appeared before 1787, when a chapel, afterwards given
up, was built at Keighley Green. (fn. 181) The Wesleyans
have chapels in Hargreaves Street (1840) and Stonyholme, and three others in Colne Road, &c. The
Primitive Methodists built a chapel in Curzon Street
in 1831, afterwards sold to the Wesleyan Reformers,
and they have now two chapels in the northern part
of the township—Mount Zion and Elim (1850),
Burnley Lane. The Free Methodists had the
chapel in Curzon Street, 1852; they have now
three places of worship.

The Congregationalists established Bethesda Chapel,
Goodham Hill, in 1814 (fn. 182); a secession resulted in that
called Salem in 1851. (fn. 183) There is a third, more recent.

Ebenezer, Colne Road, was built in 1787 by the
General Baptists (fn. 184); it has Immanuel connected
with it. Zion Chapel, built by the Particular
Baptists, followed in 1830, Enon in 1850, and Jireh,
for the Gadsbyites, in 1853.

The following denominations are also represented:
Unitarians, Swedenborgians (New Jerusalem) and
Salvation Army. There are Christian, Protestant
and Gospel Temperance Mission halls.

The chapel at Towneley Hall appears to have been
the only place in the neighbourhood at which mass
was said during the long period of proscription, (fn. 185) and
Roman Catholicism never quite died out. (fn. 186) The
Towneley registers from 1705 to 1727 have been
printed, and show that there were almost a hundred
baptisms and fifteen marriages in that period. (fn. 187) In
the town itself St. Mary's, Eastgate, was built in
1846–9 to replace the old Handbridge chapel (1817)
near the entrance to Towneley Park, which has since
been taken down. A Towneley chapel was added in
1879. St. Thomas's school-chapel (1876–7) is served
from St. Mary's. At the north end of the town is
St. John the Baptist's (1892). (fn. 188) There is a convent
of Sisters of Mercy.

There is some unsatisfactory evidence of the existence of a school before the Reformation. (fn. 189) The
earliest certain notice is in Mary's time, in 1558,
when a rent-charge of 3s. 4d. was given towards
its endowment. (fn. 190) Some chantry lands were in 1563
secured for it, and a further endowment was obtained
in 1577, due to Robert Ingham, one of the priests of
the church in 1548 and 1554. The school was free
to the inhabitants of the chapelry. (fn. 191) Lands were given
for the endowment by the Rev. Oates Sagar about
1580 (at Alverthorpe, Wakefield), and by Nicholas
Townley of Royle, 1699 (Cockridge). Scholarship
endowments have been given in recent times. A valuable school library was founded by the Rev. Edmund
Townley and the Rev. Henry Halsted. (fn. 192) The
school was reorganized in 1873, and later, and is
now under the control of the corporation.

From a dispute concerning the schoolhouse in
1675 (fn. 193) it appears that John Towneley and others
built it in 1602 upon a piece of chantry land adjoining
the churchyard—the lower part for a dwelling, the
upper for a schoolroom. When, about 1675, the
trustees of the school appointed a master, without
the consent of Richard Towneley of Towneley, the
latter refused access to the schoolroom, alleging that
the building was his private property. He and his
ancestors had had possession of the lower rooms. It
was shown that the house had been built for a school,
that at first there was no door into the schoolroom
except 'the great door out of the churchyard,' that
there was no entry into the school from the lower
rooms, and that the Towneley claim to ownership of
the school was quite a new one.

Charities

Official inquiries were made into
the charities of Burnley in 1826 and
1899, but the later one was partial
only, the county borough being excluded. The
following details are taken from the reports issued,
endowments for schools and churches being omitted:—

Isabel widow of Richard Shireburne of Stonyhurst
in 1693 left £190 for the poor of Burnley, and in
1826 £9 was paid by the agent of George Weld to
Peregrine Towneley of Towneley, who distributed it.
This charity has since been lost. Robert Halstead
of Rochester in 1649 left £3 6s. 8d. for the poor of
the parish of Burnley and the same for the poor of
Worsthorne; the rent-charges are still paid, and the
money is distributed in money gifts.

For Burnley and Habergham Eaves Elizabeth
Peel in 1800 left the residue of her estate, now
represented by £1,722 consols, for the relief of the
poor in the winter months by gifts of bread and
clothing. Orders for clothing are given to over
100 persons in each township, the value being 4s.
each.

In the township of Burnley the poor became
entitled to £500 under the will of Molly Hindle,
1804; this now produces £13 15s., distributed at
Christmas-time in doles of cloth worth 5s. each. Mary
widow of the Rev. John Hargreaves in 1814 left the
residue of her estate for poor widows in Burnley and
Bacup, and £9 a year is now paid by Sir J. O. S.
Thursby of Ormerod House, Burnley; it is given in
doles of flannel and other dress materials.

John Halstead of Broadbank in 1672 gave a rentcharge of £3 for the poor of Briercliffe with Extwistle.
This is still in force, and doles of 5s. are distributed
to aged widows and others once a year.

In Cliviger George Stephenson in 1805 intended
to leave £20 to the Sunday school and £10 to four
poor widows, and his representatives fulfilled his
intentions. The interest for the widows is now only
4s. 8d. a year. On a women's sick club becoming
extinct in 1875 the surplus funds, £20, were
invested in consols, and now produce 9s. 8d. a year,
divided among eight poor persons at Christmas-time.

Footnotes

2. The Bury or Manchester road has
been continued north, crossing the Brun
and going on as Bank Parade or Keighley
Green, along the right bank of the stream,
to join the church road later. Church
Street was formerly called Fenkel
Street.
The lane called Godley Lane led from
the church eastward, but has been replaced by modern streets. The ancient
cross stood in it.
The following account of the bridge is
of interest. It is taken from the Folds
MSS.: 'The old bridge in Burnley was
pulled down 29 June 1736, being Peter's
Day, at ¾ past 2 in the afternoon.
Memd'm that there is to be built at the
upper end of Burnley over the River
Burn, otherwise Brun, [a bridge] direct
from Fenkell Street to the end of the
house belonging to the late Sir Nicholas
Shireburne, facing the upper cross; the
arch to contain 16 yds. in length hollow
between butment and butment, in breadth
between battlements on the inside 4 yds.,
the length of the battlements in a direct
line 40 yds. each; one wing wall at the
north end of the said bridge up the said
river containing 15 yds. in length, and
another wing wall up the said river at the
south end of the said bridge of 10 yds. in
length; the height of the battlements of
the said bridge to be 4 ft.; the length of
the pavement over the said bridge to
contain 80 yds. The undertakers to find
all manner of things whatsoever for the
building and erecting the said bridge, and
to make and pave a way close adjoining
to the south-east end of the said bridge
into the said river, necessary and convenient for persons of the said town of
Burnley to water their cattle and to fetch
water; the same way to be levelled,
paved, done, and performed according to
the direction and good liking of John
Hadocke, esq. And to pull up the inner
church wall between the old Naylor
house end and Crossley's dunghill, and
with the stone that arises therefrom raise
the wall next the water 2 ft. higher from
Crossley's stable end to the old Naylor
house end; and to pull up the pavement
that now is between the church walls,
and make the same level with and lay
the same to the churchyard, and to sait
the channel out of the street into the
river.'

3. The tramway was opened in 1881
and worked by steam traction till 1902,
when the Nelson line was opened with
electric traction. The other parts were
opened in 1903–4.

5. W. T. Watkin, Roman Lancs. 86,
210; traces of a road, coins, fragments
of Roman pottery and funeral urns with
burnt bones have been found at Burnley
itself, and Ringstones Camp in Worsthorne shows remains of a walled station
with a Roman road leading to it.

7. It was proposed to summon the
people of Colne and Burnley to join the
Northern rising of 1536–7, but nothing
seems to have been done; L. and P.
Hen. VIII, xii (1), 1020.

8. The following is Dr. Aikin's description, published in 1795: 'Burnley has a
market on Mondays, chiefly for corn. Its
trade was formerly only in woollen or
worsted goods, but the cotton manufactures are now introduced in it. Some
fulling mills for woollens are still kept up,
and there are many cotton machines and
printing works about the town'; Country
round Manch. 278.
Baines in 1836 described Burnley as
'seated in a narrow, fertile, woody vale,'
the town consisting 'chiefly of stone
houses, erected principally within the last
forty years'; Lancs. (ed. 1), iii, 246.
The solitary fulling mill left in 1824 had
disappeared; ibid. 251. It is added:
'Owing to the extensive excavations for
coals made under the town a number of
buildings near its centre, extending westward, have sunk several inches, and there
are many good houses to be seen with a
rent down the front, and where the roofs
and flooring have separated from the
walls.'
The ordnance map of 1848 shows coalpits at the entrance of Yorkshire Street
and in the present Red Lion Street and
Guerden Street; others were to the
east of the canal and the west of the
railway.

12. Challoner, Missionary Priests, no. 186.
The cause of his beatification was allowed
to be introduced at Rome in 1886. There
is a relic of him at Claughton-on-Brock.
His father Thomas Whitaker, master
in 1617 and till his death in 1626, must
have been a conformist. His will names
his wife Ellen and his four children, also
his base daughter Anne Wilson.

13. Dict. Nat. Biog. His father was the
Rev. William Halliwell, master of the
grammar school 1761–96; Whitaker,
Whalley, ii, 172.

20. Lancs. Inq. and Extents, i, 213–14.
The value was £15 11s., to which must
be added 30s. 7d. from the charterers.

21. Chart. R. 87 (22 Edw. I), m. 11,
no. 23. A century ago the market day
had become changed to Monday. The
lord had ceased to collect tolls. This
ancient market held in the streets was
abolished by the corporation in 1866.

31. In 1607 a charter was produced by
which Richard son of Richard son of
Griffin gave to Oliver de Stansfield all
his messuages and lands in Burnley and
Briercliffe and the reversion of the portion held by Helewise his mother in
dower. The piece of land called Mustihalgh was excepted. All was to be
held of Henry Earl of Lincoln and his
heirs; Lancs. Inq. p.m. (Rec. Soc. Lancs.
and Ches.), i, 84.

32. Ibid. ii, 7. Oliver de Stansfield held
12 acres in Burnley in 1305; De Lacy
Compoti, 109. This may account for the
increase of the acreage from 40 to 50.

33. It was perhaps made the residence
of the family, for James Stansfield of
Heysandforth occurs in 1442; Pal. of
Lanc. Plea R. 4, m. 1b. By a deed
dated at Heysandforth in 1476 the
feoffees regranted to Geoffrey Stansfield
and Joan his wife a messuage, &c.; Add.
MS. 32104, no. 1130. Feoffees of the
same Geoffrey in 1485 granted to Isabel
daughter of Lawrence Towneley (otherwise called Isabel daughter of Maud
Southworth) certain lands in Burnley, to
be held by her for life with remainder to
Giles the son and heir of Geoffrey Stansfield, who was to marry Isabel; W.
Farrer's D. On the seal tag is writing
naming Geoffrey Stansfield of the Heysandforth. See John Stansfeld, Stansfeld
Fam. 276.
A settlement of the manor was made
in 1496 by Geoffrey son of James Stansfield; Final Conc. (Rec. Soc. Lancs. and
Ches.), iii, 145.

34. Geoffrey Stansfield died in 1500
holding the manor of Heysandforth of
the king as duke by knight's service. A
widow Joan survived him. His son Giles
died before him, leaving a widow Isabel
and a daughter Joan, two years of age,
who was heir of her grandfather; Duchy
of Lanc. Inq. p.m. iii, no. 56.
Joan wife of Simon Haydock of Heysandforth was buried at Burnley 21 Aug.
1562; Reg.

35. Duchy of Lanc. Inq. p.m. xvii, no.
40. The pedigree in Whitaker's Whalley
(ii, 176) interposes another Simon between
the one who married the heiress and Evan.
Evan had been married, perhaps in
infancy, to Ellen daughter of Sir John
Towneley, but was divorced by 1551,
when disputes took place as to the lands
settled on the marriage. The agreement
for the marriage was made in 1522 when
Evan father of Simon was still living,
and the marriage took place before the
children were twelve years old. At this
age Ellen refused consent, and a divorce
was obtained. Grimehouse was part of
the lands assigned; Duchy of Lanc.
Plead. Edw. VI, xxvi, H 10; Dep.
Edw. VI, xi, T 3.
A settlement of the manor of Heysandforth and other estates was made by
Evan Haydock in 1586; Pal. of Lanc.
Feet of F. bdle. 48, m. 7.
Nicholas Hancock of Lower Higham
in 1570 became bound to Evan Haydock
of Heysandforth and Giles his brother;
Add. MS. 32104, no. 1135.

37. Lancs. Inq. p.m. (Rec. Soc. Lancs.
and Ches.), i, 81–5, 123. The lands were
held in socage. The will, dated 1606,
is given. It mentions Anne his wife,
his children Evan, Gilbert, Mary and
Eleanor. Testator desired Mr. Justice
Walmsley to undertake the rule of his
son Evan during minority; £10 was to
be paid for his education if he were
brought up in the country, but £20 if
he should go to the University or Inns of
Court. His 'evidence chest' is named.

39. Duchy of Lanc. Inq. p.m. xxviii, no.
81. In 1620 he had settled his lands,
naming his sister Eleanor and brother
Gilbert.

40. The pedigree in Ormerod (loc. cit.)
comes down to Simon's grandson John
Haydock, J.P., who died in 1745.

41. Henry de Lacy (d. 1311) granted to
Robert son of Robert de Burnley 8 acres
of land in Burnley formerly held by John
the Folder; Shireburne Abstract Bk. at
Leagram. This was probably the foundation of the estate.
In 1528 Oliver Halstead surrendered
several messuages, &c., to John Ryley,
priest, John Woodroffe and others; John
Ryley in 1533 releasing two messuages
to John Woodroffe; ibid. John Woodroffe acquired other lands in the neighbourhood, and was in 1557 succeeded by
another John, apparently his nephew;
ibid. This John married Jenet one of
the three daughters and co-heirs of Edmund
Tattersall of Mossley (licence 1534) and
was in 1580 succeeded by his son John;
his wife Jenet died in 1597; ibid. John
Woodroffe of 'Bankhead' and Richard
Woodroffe of Burnley were freeholders in
1600; Misc. (Rec. Soc. Lancs. and Ches.),
i, 236. John Woodroffe of 'Banktop'
was dead in 1610, his daughter Isabel
(bapt. 1583) being wife of Nicholas
Townley of Royle; she had in 1605 been
divorced from Richard son of Thomas
Shuttleworth; Shireburne Abstract Bk.
In 1653 Isabel surrendered the old and
new copyhold land belonging to Bank Top
in Burnley to her granddaughter Isabel
wife of Richard Shireburne. The will of
Isabel Townley is dated 1674; ibid. The
nuncupative will of her father John
Woodroffe (1610) has been preserved; it
left everything to her.
In 1579 John Woodroffe was ordered
to go to communion at his parish church;
ibid. About 1586 it was reported to the
government that Robert Woodroffe,
seminary priest, had been received at the
house of Jenet Woodroffe of Bank Top;
Baines, Lancs. (ed. Harland), i, 180 (from
Harl. MS. 360). This Robert, whose
parentage is not stated, arrived at Douay
from England in 1577, was one of the
early students of the English College at
Rome (1579, aged twenty-five), ordained
there and sent on the English mission in
1582, partly in hope that his native air
would restore him, he being in poor
health. It was for sheltering him that
Richard Blundell of Little Crosby was
imprisoned, and Woodroffe was imprisoned at Chester, Lancaster, Wisbech
and Framlingham. In 1603 he was sent
into exile for the second time, but returned to England. In one list he is
noted as 'martyr, 1591,' but this is
erroneous. See Douay Diaries, 121, 192,
321, 18, 33; Foley, Rec. S. J. v, 135,
228; Misc. (Cath. Rec. Soc.), i, 110;
Crosby Rec. (Chet. Soc.), 21.

43. Dict. Nat. Biog. He led the charge
of the Heavy Brigade at Balaclava. He
died at Bank Hall 6 Dec. 1871, and was
buried at Holme.

44. In 1602 Thomas Barker had a dispute with Richard Woodroffe and Margaret Halstead, widow, concerning Bank
House, late the estate of Henry Halstead;
Ducatus Lanc. (Rec. Com.), iii, 453.
There were earlier disputes (1560–3)
between Robert Pereson and William
Halstead; ibid. ii, 231, 269.

45. Whitaker, op. cit. ii, 167–9, with
Halsted pedigree. The railway to Colne
goes through part of its land.

46. Whitaker, op. cit. ii, 175. The
descent appears to be: William Folds,
living 1522 -s. Richard -s. William,
living 1560, d. 1603 -s. Richard, d. 1623
-s. William, b. 1585, d. 1650 -2nd s.
John, d. 1687 -s. John, b. 1674, d. 1738
-s. John, b. 1694, d. 1741 -s. William,
b. 1721 -s. John, b. 1745 -s. John -s.
John, b. 1808; from family papers, registers, &c. Mr. Obadiah Folds is the present head of the family. William Folds
of Dancer House was a freeholder in
1600; Misc. (Rec. Soc. Lancs. and Ches.),
i, 236.
In a surrender of the Dancer House
estate in 1706 by John Folds, yeoman.
the following place-names occur: Moorfields, Leonard's Fields, Haggsfield, Kilncroft, Slater Meadow, Tentercroft, Gregorycroft, &c.; also a cottage called the
Hebrew Hall. A rent of 8s. 9d. was due
to the lord of the manor; Folds MSS.
In 1739 Banister Halsted of Rowley
bequeathed his law books to William
Folds son of John Folds the younger of
Dancer House; Wills (Chet. Soc. new
ser.), iii, 116.
The surname was a common one in
the district. In a charge of assault, &c.,
at Burnley in 1425–6 the following were
concerned: Christopher, Edward and
Henry Folds of Burnley, John Folds of
Sudhall, Robert Folds and John Folds
the elder of Briercliffe; Towneley MS.
RR, no. 1670.

47. a The date 1500 is said to have once
been visible on the building. It was,
however, 'covered up' in 1876; Whitaker, Whalley (ed. 4), ii, 175.

48. Whitaker, op. cit. ii, 175. The
surname occurs in several townships in
the neighbourhood. William Ingham of
Burnley, yeoman, was defendant in 1442;
Pal. of Lanc. Plea R. 4, m. 18. In 1512
William son of John Ingham of Fulledge
was contracted to marry Elizabeth daughter
of George Ormerod; Towneley MS. C 8,
13 (Chet. Lib.), I, 25. John Ingham of
Fulledge is named in a deed of 1531;
ibid. T 135. The will of Robert Ingham
of Fulledge, the elder, dated 1622, mentions several children, his heir being a
grandson Robert, one of the executors.
This grandson was probably the Robert
Ingham of Fulledge who died in 1650,
having made his will in 1647; it
appears that he had two sons, John and
Richard.

52. Whitaker, op. cit. ii, 177. 'John
Clerke, for Royle,' is named in the list
of tenants of 1443; Farrer, Clitheroe Ct.
R. i, 504.
The tenure may have been altered
later. In the 17th century Mr. Townley paid a fee farm rent of 20s. 8d. for
tenements called Royle and appurtenances
in Pendle Forest.

53. The authority for the marriage is
the pedigree in Visit. of 1613 (Chet.
Soc.), 99. The bond is copied in Towneley MS. C 8, 13, C 103–4; Whitaker,
loc. cit.
Richard was the son of Nicholas Townley, who died in or before 1533, Richard
himself dying in 1541; Farrer, op. cit.
i, 308, 354. Margaret his wife was then
living, and claimed dower. An abstract
of his will is printed in Wills (Chet. Soc.
new ser.), i, 230.

55. It was alleged that Richard Townley
of Royle and others had broken the weirs
of the water of Whineroke, flowing
between Lord Derby's lands within the
hamlet of Clifton (Habergham Eaves) and
Townley's lands, so that the former lands
were flooded; Pal. of Lanc. Writs of
Assize, bdle. 18 (29 Hen. VIII); Plea
R. 162, m. 11 d.

57. Duchy of Lanc. Inq. p.m. xvii, no. 13.
By his will, proved 1598, he gave Greenfield to his younger son Bernard for life,
unless the elder son Nicholas would pay
him an annuity of £13 6s. 8d. His
daughters Anne and Blanche were also provided for. The inventory included books
20s. and a clock 26s. 8d. The inventory
of the goods of his widow, Katherine
Townley of Clifton, is dated 1629.

58. The marriage took place at Burnley
4 Feb. 1606–7; Reg. A pedigree (quoted
above) was recorded in 1613.

64. Dugdale, Visit. (Chet. Soc.), 312.
In 1669 articles of agreement between
Isabel (widow of Nicholas) Townley and
Nicholas son of Robert brother of the
said Nicholas Townley were drawn up;
Shireburne Abstract Bk.

65. See the pedigree in Whitaker, op. cit.
ii, 178. The following is an outline:
Robert Townley, d. 1666 -s. Nicholas,
d. 1682 -s. Nicholas, d. 1699 -s. Thomas,
d. 1737 -s. Thomas (whose daughter was
Anne Parker), d. 1770 -bro. Edmund, d.
1796. The Rev. Edmund Townley (d.
1729), younger son of the first Nicholas,
was a benefactor of the church at Burnley.

72. Ibid. iv, 1221. In 1468 Ralph
Abbot of Whalley granted to John Towneley a lease of three little garths lying by
the bridge at Burnley and the west end
of the church, between the water and
the north side of the churchyard; Towneley MS. C 8, 13, W 134. This plat of
land was sold by the Crown in 1606;
Pat. 4 Jas. I, pt. xxiv. Robert Smith,
the principal abbey tenant in Burnley,
was plaintiff in the time of Henry VIII;
Ducatus Lanc. i, 197.

73. Richard Tattersall of Briercliffe in
1523 held lands in Burnley, but the
tenure was unknown; Duchy of Lanc.
Inq. p.m. vi, no. 38, 79. For the Tattersalls of Ridge End see the account of
Briercliffe. The estate at Ridge Ena
was sold to Clayton of Carr in 1719.

74. The Grimshaws of Clayton had
lands in Burnley (ibid. viii, no. 16).
During the Civil War warning was given
that the lands were liable to be swept
away by the river, and the Committee
for Compounding were asked to provide
against it, as the people were afraid their
passage to church and market would be
stopped and their houses endangered.
The sequestration was due to John Grimshaw's recusancy; Cal. Com. for Comp.
i, 489.

77. Ducatus Lanc. i, 177, 246; iii, 28;
Lancs. and Ches. Rec. (Rec. Soc. Lancs.
and Ches.), ii, 238, &c. Early in Elizabeth's reign Alexander Radcliffe had
Burnley Mill by lease from Henry VIII,
and complained that various freeholders
and copyholders were withholding suit.
The reply was that they were at liberty
to grind either at Burnley or at Padiham,
and before the Padiham Mill was built
(fifty years earlier) at Hapton; Duchy of
Lanc. Plead. Eliz. lxix, R 5.

88. Act 59 Geo. III, cap. 32. Reservoirs
were made at Heysandforth and on
the south of the town, in Habergham
Eaves.

89. The company was incorporated in
1826 by the Act 7 Geo. IV, cap. 36.
The first works were at Saunder's Bank
or Finsley Meadow, just beyond the
south border of the township. Further
works were erected at Stonyholme about
1850.

90. On a piece of land called Thorncroft.
A new market-place was formed in
1852.

91. Act 9 & 10 Vict. cap. 119. The
area was divided into three wards: Burnley
North, Burnley South and Habergham
Eaves.

92. New reservoirs were then formed in
Worsthorne and Extwistle, and great extensions have since been made. There
are reservoirs at Swinden, Hecknest and
Cant Clough, and a compensation reservoir at Lee Green. The corporation in
1889 acquired the Padiham Water
Works.

99. Act 34 & 35 Vict. cap. 154. The
extensions were chiefly in the north-east,
beyond Heysandforth to the workhouse;
and in the west to Gannow, Hargher
Clough and Cole Clough. A smaller
addition was made in the south-east.

102. The wards are named: St. Andrew's,
Danes House, Stonyholme, St. Peter's,
St. Paul's, Fulledge, Burnley Wood,
Healey, Trinity, Whittlefield, Gannow
and Lowerhouse. The present boundaries,
as settled in 1898, are fully set forth in
the Year-book issued by the Corporation.

106. Act 53 & 54 Vict. cap. 187. They
have been greatly extended from time to
time since.

107. A workhouse was built in 1822 in
Royle Road, where the railway crosses
the Calder. The present workhouse, to
the north of the town, in Briercliffe Road,
was built in 1876.

108. See Whitaker, Whalley, ii, 158;
Lancs. Churches (Chet. Soc.), 101; Hist.
of the Parochial Church of Burnley, by
T. T. Wilkinson, 1856, which has been
used in the following description; also
The Founding of Burnley Parish Church,
by John Allen, 1903.

109. –8 The founding of the Towneley
chantry in the 14th century might lead
to the supposition that parts of the building were of that period, but there is no
sufficient architectural evidence remaining
for determining the old plan. Wilkinson
(Hist. Burnley Ch.3) says 'the original
plan appears to have been cruciform, the
chancel forming the head, and the Towneley and Stansfield chapels the right and
left arms of the cross respectively.'

115. Dr. Whitaker supposed it to have
covered the remains of one of the earlier
Stansfields.

116. In Kuerden MSS. vi, fol. 48 and
48b, are notes of arms, &c., formerly in the
church and churchyard.

117. An earlier ring of four was cast by
Samuel Smith of York in 1702. When
the present ring was placed in the tower
the old bells were sold, one going to
Liverpool, another to Bolton and a third
to Bacup. The remaining one was purchased by Mears, the founder of the new
peal; Wilkinson, op. cit. 61.

118. In 1340 a chalice and a breviary
were stolen from Burnley Church; Assize
R. 430, m. 12.

119. One was sold to Richard Hitchen
of Sparrhawk in Burnley, and in 1736
was used to fill ale in; Folds MSS.

120. The first part, 1562–1653, has been
printed by the Lanc. Par. Reg. Soc.
1899.

122. St. Anthony's Quire was the Stansfield chapel, then the property of Richard
Shuttleworth, and was separated from the
rest of the pews by a screen. This plan
is printed in Memories of Hurstwood (1889),
and with the Parish Register.

124. 'The tradition of the place is that
prior to the foundation of a church at
Burnley religious rites were celebrated on
the site where [the old cross] stands, but
that afterwards, upon an attempt being
made to erect an oratory upon the place,
the materials were nightly transported by
invisible agents to the present site';
Whitaker, op. cit. ii, 157.

126. Whitaker, op. cit. i, 87. A piece
of land was given to the church in 1522
by Robert Booth; Towneley MS. C 8, 13
(Chet. Lib.), T 100. There were disputes
between the inhabitants and the monks
of Whalley as to liability to repair the
church; Duchy of Lanc. Misc. Bks. xv,
fol. 45.

128. Gastrell attributes the increment to
Archbishop Juxon, but it is already recorded in 1650 in the Commonwealth Ch.
Surv. (Rec. Soc. Lancs. and Ches.), 166.
The inhabitants in 1609 petitioned for
an increase of means for a minister; Note
by Towneley.

130. An order for £24 6s. was made in
1648; Whitaker, op. cit. i, 221. In 1650
an increment of £50 was ordered out of
the Clifton or other sequestrations; Plund.
Mins. Accts. (Rec. Soc. Lancs. and Ches.),
i, 89, 109, 132. This increase was afterwards paid; ibid. 248.

139. Raines, Chantries (Chet. Soc.), 147–
50. The chantry goes back to 1372–3,
when Thomas de la Legh granted the
third part of the manor of Towneley to
his nephew Gilbert on condition that he
found a chaplain to sing for the souls of
Thomas, &c.; Whitaker, Whalley, ii, 160.
See also the account of Habergham Eaves.
The chaplain, Nicholas Parker, being
dead, the Abbot of Whalley in 1481 asked
Sir Richard Towneley to give it to John
Green, a brother of the abbey; ibid. 163.
Sir Richard's son John, about 1500,
endowed or re-endowed the chantry of
St. Mary, as appears by an inscription
thereon; ibid. 160. John Ingham was
to be the priest; Add. MS. 30145, fol. 83.
Peter Adlington was cantarist in 1535,
when the income was given as £3 6s. 8d.;
Valor Eccl. (Rec. Com.), v, 230. He
died about Christmas 1546, when Hugh
Watmough was nominated to succeed
him. John Ingham had preceded Adlington; Duchy Plead. (Rec. Soc. Lancs. and
Ches.), iii, 3. John Aspden also claimed
it; ibid. 103–6.
A chantry and chantry lands at Burnley
were sold by the Crown in 1589; Pat.
31 Eliz. pt. xi.

140. Raines, op. cit. 150–2. The
chantry seems to have been founded in
1523; Add. MS. 32104, no. 459. Gilbert Fairbank was the priest there in
1535, when his stipend was said to be
£2 only; Valor Eccl. ut sup.
The lands of this chantry were afterwards (1552) assigned to the support of
the grammar school; Whitaker, op. cit.
ii, 163.
At an inquiry as to 'concealed lands'
in 1561 it was stated that Fairbank was
still in possession of the endowment, but
did no service for it; Duchy of Lanc.
Special Com. no. 33.

141. Lancs. and Ches. Rec. (Rec. Soc.
Lancs. and Ches.), i, 87. For ministers'
accounts see ibid. ii, 315. Inquiries
were made as to the lands of St. Peter's
chantry in 1569 and later; Duchy of
Lanc. Special Com. 186, 207.

142. The cantarists must have celebrated
with the plate belonging to the chapel.

143. Whitaker, op. cit. ii, 162–3; the
'rood priest' is named in a deed of
1544–5, in reference, it appears, to land
formerly given for his support by John
Ingham, chaplain. William Piccope in
1521 bequeathed his lands, in case he
died without issue, to the 'use and behoof of a priest to sing and say mass and
other divine service in the kirk of Burnley for ever,' for his soul and the souls of
his parents; Towneley MS. C 8, 13
(Chet. Lib.), P 59. From references
given (Whitaker, op cit. ii, 164) it appears
that Stephen Smith and Richard Hitchen
were the priests serving them. Stephen
Smith was chaplain of Rossendale in
1531; Act Bk. of Whalley (Chet. Soc.),
138. Richard 'Higen' was in 1541
said to be paid out of the alms of the
parishioners; Clergy List (Rec. Soc.
Lancs. and Ches.), 18. Both names
occur in the visitation list of 1548, but
Hitchen is marked 'decrepit' and then
'dead,' by the bishop's officials. Smith
was at Rochdale in 1554. See also
Duchy Plead. iii, 126.
In a settlement of land in 1519 the
ultimate remainder was 'to the use and
profit of the service in the rood-loft of
Burnley Church for ever'; Farrer,
Clitheroe Ct. R. ii, 148.

145. Raines, Chantries, 277, 275. The
vestments and plate were taken away by
the king's commissioners in 1553, apparently to the great indignation of the
people, who as soon as Mary came to
the throne made complaint of the spoliation; Duchy Plead. (Rec. Soc. Lancs.
and Ches.), iii, 158. The vestments included some described as 'fine'; the
plate mentioned was a chalice and two
patens, and there were 'three high solemn
and fine bells, a sanctus bell, one hand
bell (and) three other little bells';
Augm. Off. Misc. Bks. clxx, m. 3.

146. Three chantry priests have been
named: Fairbank, Smith and Hitchen.
The other priests were Robert Ingham,
John Aspden and Hugh Watmough. The
first was in 1541 said to be paid by John
Towneley, and perhaps served Towneley
Hall; the second was the curate, paid
by the vicar of Whalley; the third had
been a chantry priest, as above.

147. Particulars as to various chantry
priests were given at an inquiry into the
lands in 1571. Thomas Burgess was
stated to have died in 1554, Stephen
Smith in 1562, and Gilbert Fairbank in
1567. Hugh Watmough was living;
Duchy of Lanc. Special Com. 202.

148. Visitation lists at Chester. Even
in the Commonwealth time there was
only one minister in the chapelry.

149. Whitaker (op. cit. ii, 169) gives
the following earlier names, but it is in
most cases impossible to say whether
they were the chaplains of Burnley or
merely chantry priests or others living in
the district: c. 1200, Henry the clerk of
Burnley (Kuerden fol. MS. 250); John
the clerk of Burnley; 1300, Walter the
chaplain of Burnley; 1358, Richard de
Burnley, chaplain; 1359, William Moton
and John son of Adam son of Walter,
chaplain; 1369, Ellis de Habergham,
chaplain; 1520, John Folds, chaplain.
The last-named caused a cross to be
erected in the churchyard; ibid. 170.
In 1423–4 occurs an item of ½d., the
rent of Walter the chaplain of Burnley
for the eighth part of an acre of waste
there, on which a house was to be built;
Receivers' Accts. bdle. 89, roll 1631.

150. Hargreaves was 'curate of Burnley'
in 1532; Duchy of Lanc. Dep. Hen.
VIII, xx, B 12 k. See also Act Bk. of
Whalley, 199, in which volume the
'church' of Burnley is often named as a
place of public penance; ibid. 74, 165, &c.

152. His name appears in the Clergy List
of 1541–2 as successor to Marsden, and
in the visitation lists to 1565, in which
it has been crossed out and another inserted, no doubt in preparation for the
next visitation. Aspden subscribed to
the royal supremacy in 1563; Ches.
Sheaf (Ser. 3), i, 34–5. He died in
1567, being buried 30 June; Reg.
According to the story told in 1588 there
was no (regular) minister for twenty years
after his death.

154. The will of Thomas Barcroft was
in August 1573 proved before William
Duxbury, clerk, curate of Burnley. He
occurs similarly as curate again in Sept.
1575; Pennant's MS. Acct. Bk. He
was buried 14 May 1583; his widow's
burial was on 24 May 1597; Reg.

155. Mary Ryley was baptized at Elland
in Yorkshire 9 Sept. 1582, and is entered
at the foot of a page in the Burnley
register as daughter of Thomas Ryley,
minister of Burnley. Probably, therefore, he succeeded Duxbury. A son was
baptized at Elland 26 Nov. 1584 and a
daughter at Burnley in 1589. Ryley
was buried 1 May 1631; Reg.
In 1592 there were no pews, and in
1598 the church needed repair; Visit.
Returns.

156. Brereley's name occurs in the Burnley
registers from 1633 till his burial 13 June
1637. His will names his wife Ann,
eldest son Thomas and six other children.
He held on lease a farm at Marland.

157. Henry Morris's name appears in
Apr. 1638, and he was still curate in
1653; Reg. Under June 1645 he recorded 'Here the Directory began.' He
was a member of the Presbyterian Classis
in the following year, and in 1650 was
reputed 'an able and orthodox divine.'
His name occurs in the registers in 1661
and 1662 as 'minister.' The handwriting changes in 1664, but Henry
Morris was still curate in April that
year, as appears from a Starkie marriage
licence at Chester.

158. Wallwork signed the registers as
curate at the end of 1666. He was
buried 9 May 1671.

162. Previously at Padiham. The church
papers at Chester begin with his appointment. Anthony Parker, Thomas Braddyll
and Christopher Wilkinson, justices of
the peace, nominated him. He was
buried 25 Sept. 1724.

164. Nominated by Thomas Townley of
Royle. The new curate was son of Sir
T. Standish of Duxbury; he had been
chaplain of H.M.S. Monmouth and stayed
at Burnley till his death.

165. Nominated by Edmund Townley of
Royle. Collins was rector of Compton
Valence, but did not reside there or at
Burnley, being chaplain and steward to
Lord Ribblesdale; Whitaker, op. cit. ii,
170. The Rev. John Raws, master of
the grammar school, was in charge 1788–
1834.

166. Nominated by Robert Townley
Parker of Cuerden and Royle. Mr. Radcliffe was curate of Walton-le-Dale 1798–
1826, and did not reside at Burnley.

167. Nominated by R. T. Parker. Mr.
Master resided at Burnley till his successor was ready, and then became incumbent of St. James's, Leyland, and rector of
Croston. He was hon. canon and archdeacon of Manchester. He died in 1867.

168. Hon. canon of Manchester 1866,
rector of Burnley 1867. He was the
youngest son of R. Townley Parker and
lived at Royle. He died soon after his
resignation, on 17 Aug. 1902.

180. Bishop Gastrell recorded fifty
Quakers and four Independents in 1717;
Notitia Cestr. ii, 308.
In 1670 complaint was made that John
Hargreaves, 'pretended clerk,' had been
preaching at Holme Chapel and elsewhere
in the district without licence; Visit.
returns.

182. Nightingale, Lancs. Nonconf. ii, 157;
preachers had visited that 'licentious
place' as early as 1806, and a church was
formed in the following year. 'The
friends of the Established Church' greatly
assisted the cause. The church was rebuilt in 1879.

183. Ibid. 163; the dispute was over the
appointment of a minister in 1849. A
branch church was formed in 1889.

184. This was an effort of the General
Baptists of Birchcliff. They began preaching at Worsthorne in 1776 and meeting
with some success there went on to
Burnley in 1780, Richard Folds being the
minister. Here a church was formed and
a chapel became necessary in 1787. It had
severe checks from unworthy ministers,
but was able to survive; A. Taylor, Engl.
Gen. Baptists, 193, 278, 392.

186. In 1632 Robert Sager the younger
compounded for the two-thirds of his
estate liable to sequestration for recusancy by a payment of £2 a year, and
Alice Sager compounded for Elizabeth
Whitaker; Trans. Hist. Soc. (new ser.),
xxiv, 178–9. There were 118 'Papists'
in the chapelry in 1767; ibid. xviii, 216.

188. The full title is Our Holy Saviour
and SS. John Baptist and Evangelist.

189. Stephen Ellis, clerk, described as
'scole-maister' (? Burnley) was trustee
in 1532 for lands in Pendle Forest;
Farrer, Clitheroe Ct. R. ii, 107. See ibid.
336.
According to the certificate of John
Halsted and others in 1562 there were,
before the destruction of the chantries,
certain lands belonging to the churchwardens 'intended to have been used to
the maintenance of their school.' Lacking a schoolmaster they allowed Stephen
Smith to have the rents 'until such time
as they could be provided of a schoolmaster,' and when the chantries were dissolved he, for his own profit, returned the
lands as belonging to his chantry; Augm.
Off. Misc. Bks. clxx, m. 2.

190. Raines in Gastrell's Notitia, ii,
316.
Papers at Burnley, dated 1675, state
that 6s. 8d. rent charged on land in
Cliviger was given in 1558, 10s. rent
charge on the Ings in Colne in 1559, and
£3 on land in Essex in 1578 (?); copyhold lands in the manor of Wakefield
were given in 1585. A schoolhouse (as in
the text) was built in 1602, when further
endowments were subscribed.